Tudor portraits exhibition at National Portrait Gallery reveals bug’s sticky end on Holbein work

Discovery: the bug, thought to be a woodworm, in the painting’s varnish

A dead bug trapped in the varnish of a Tudor portrait has been unveiled during preparation for a new exhibition, opening tomorrow.

Experts at the National Portrait Gallery used X-rays and other investigations to uncover the original appearance of portraits of Tudor royals for the show.

The bug was discovered at the top edge of a 1542 painting of young Edward VI, by Hans Holbein the Younger.

What appears to be a woodworm looks to have got stuck in the varnish during restoration work, possibly in the 18th century.

Secret visitor: the 1542 Holbein portrait of Edward VI where the bug was found

Another portrait, of Elizabeth I, was revealed to have been substantially changed since it was originally painted. Painted on wood dating from just after her death in 1603, the picture we see today was revealed as an 18th-century “improvement” to suit later tastes.

An elaborate costume with large “wings” around her head had been almost completely overpainted to create a prettier image.

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Dr Tarnya Cooper, chief curator, said Tudor portraits were rarely appreciated in later centuries but Elizabeth’s image was popular because of her reputation as a champion of Protestantism.

“As a result artists often reworked original portraits into images that adhered to contemporary notions of beauty,” she said.

Both works are included in a new exhibition on the Tudor kings and queens, which is the culmination of seven years of research.

It also includes a painted plaster and wood bust of Henry VII, made for the king’s funeral procession and on rare loan from Westminster Abbey. It is unlike previous portrait sculpture in England as it was modelled in plaster from the dead king’s face.

The Real Tudors: Kings and Queens Rediscovered runs until March 1, admission free.